BOKU Magazin 2/2024

FOTOS: BOKU / CHRISTOPH GRUBER
Empowering Youth as
Bioeconomy Changemakers
By Damiano Cilio
In a satellite event to the Bioeconomy
Changemakers Festival
2024 – a festival organized
by the European Commission
DG Research and Innovation’s
Bioeconomy Team in cooperation
with the Bioeconomy Youth Ambassadors
– the BCF2024-Vienna Edition
brought youth empowerment
and strategic collaboration to centre
stage. The event, organised by
the Centre for Bioeconomy of BOKU
University and dedicated to inspiring
young people as bioeconomy changemakers,
brought together key youth
organizations to enhance their impact
on the bioeconomy discourse.
EVENT HIGHLIGHTS
Overall, the BCF2024-Vienna Edition
saw the participation of 19 young
participants representing 17 youth
organizations actively involved in the
bioeconomy and related fields, either
from an industry, policy, forestry,
agriculture, or environmental related
point of view. The participants,
spanning from 17 to 32 years old,
showcased a strong commitment to
fostering youth participation in the
bioeconomy sector.
OPENING SESSION: CIRCULAR
BIOECONOMY AS A SOLUTION?
The event began with an engaging
opening session titled ”Circular Bioeconomy
as a Solution?“, kicked
off by the welcoming words of Eva
Schulev-Steindl – Rector of BOKU
University, Claudia Plakolm – State
Secretary for Youth & Civilian Service
of the Austrian Federal Government,
Martin Greimel – Head of the Centre
for Bioeconomy of BOKU University,
and Camilla Werl – European Bioeconomy
Youth Ambassador.
Bernhard Kastner – Senior Scientist
at the Centre for Bioeconomy
of BOKU, articulated the core aim
of bioeconomy: ”Bioeconomy is designed
to reduce the entropic degradation
of natural resources by a consumption-minimised
and circular
utilisation of feedstock.“ Following
up on this bioeconomy vision, Karin
Huber-Heim – Executive Director of
the Circular Economy Forum, stressed
the significance of partnerships for
promoting the transformative bioeconomy
and influencing the European
policy landscape. ”Collaboration
between public, private, and civil
society stakeholders is essential for
scaling up circular bioeconomy initiatives“,
she noted.
WORKSHOPS AND NETWORKING
The event's dynamic agenda continued
with a lively networking session,
providing participants the opportunity
to connect and share ideas. This
was followed by two insightful workshops
organized together with the
Centre for Social Innovation. These
workshops aimed to deepen understanding,
foster new visions, and enhance
communication strategies related
to the transformative potential
of bioeconomy. Participants actively
engaged in discussions, sharing new
36 BOKU Mag 2 | 2024